Youth and Parent Participation in Transition Planning in the U.S.A.: Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012)

The purpose of this study was to use data from the United States' National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012) to present descriptive information on youth and parent participation and youth's role in required Individualized Education Program (IEP)/transition planning meetings by disability category and age groupings (14-22 year olds, 14-15 year olds, and 16-22 year olds). The study found that youth and parent attendance in IEP/transition planning meetings was high across disability categories, but the extent to which youth and parents met with teachers to discuss transition goals was much lower. Data from NLTS 2012 and a previous U.S. study, the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2), were compared for youth's participation with school staff in discussing transition goals. A significant decline in participation was found over the past decade. Logistic regression analyses illustrated differences in youth and parent participation and youth's role by disability category.

On An International Level, What Are The Functions Of An Individualized Education Program (IEP) Or Transition Plan (TP)?

More than 45 years of IEP/TP research and a few focused on IEP/TP functions or roles. Yet, the quality of an IEP/TP relies on the functions that it fulfills to satisfy the needs of its different users (Petitdemange,1985). The Quebec Ministry of Education (MEQ, 2004) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services within the U.S. Department of Education (in Eichler, 1999) explicitly identified and described six to seven IEP/TP functions. However, a literature review and practising environments highlighted a greater number of functions. The goal of this research is to identify the different functions that an IEP/TP should fulfill in regard to the different needs of its diverse users. With the use of pedagogical value analysis method (PVA), results show a synthesis of more than 700 functions organized in an IEP/TP Functional Specification Matrix (FSM). The IEP /TP FSM is useful to create, monitor and evaluate IEP/TPs.

Adapted Physical Education in the Special Education Process

Adapted physical education (APE) services have the same overall objectives as general physical education; however, adapted physical educators should implement accommodations and modifications to personalize the programs to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities. Because of the high levels of health disparity for people with disabilities, as well as cognitive and socio-emotional benefits associated with physical activity and exercise, it is crucial that students with disabilities receive high-quality APE programming. To give the readers a broad overview of APE and how it should be implemented, this chapter covers the following topics: physical education and physical literacy, the benefits of physical education and exercise for students with disabilities, federal laws in relation to physical education for students with disabilities, the role of adapted physical educators in interdisciplinary team approaches within the individualized education program process, and highlighting specialized teaching strategies and specialized equipment for students with disabilities.

Mothers' Perceptions of Satisfaction, Trust, and Power in the Individualized Education Program Process

Parent involvement in the development of an individualized education program (IEP) is a foundational tenet of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Unfortunately, mothers, the parent most likely to attend the IEP meeting, often report negative perceptions and even feelings of disillusion with the IEP process. Including mothers as equal members of the IEP team is crucial to student success, especially for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). To determine the extent of mothers' satisfaction, trust, and perception of the power of the IEP process, we surveyed 929 mothers of students with disabilities. Survey results indicate mothers are neither overly satisfied nor dissatisfied with the process, but almost always perceive an imbalance of power between IEP team members. A high percentage of mothers reported experiences with bullying, coercion, and shame. The findings suggest that more efforts are needed to empower mothers during the IEP process and improve parent-school partnerships.

Speech-Language Pathologists' Experiences With Interpreters in the School Setting: A Preliminary Study

Purpose The purpose of this exploratory study was to obtain documentation about interpretive interactions that include speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and interpreters in public schools, including information on best practices and difficulties. Method Seven California public school SLPs were interviewed by the authors using preset questions. Their responses were transcribed, then coded into 55 codes, and then combined into six different themes. Results Results included the following six themes: (a) interpreter roles, (b) SLPs' characteristics or actions, (c) characteristics of effective interactions, (d) interpreters' positive characteristics or actions, (e) characteristics of ineffective interactions, and (f) interpreters' negative characteristics or actions. Some of the positive characteristics or actions reported about some interpreters included direct translation without adding, changing, or deleting information, knowledge of professional vocabulary, training as an interpreter, and demonstrating empathy. In addition, the majority of respondents stated that they used the briefing, interaction, and debriefing process in interpreted interactions. Conclusions It was concluded that additional training of SLPs and interpreters was indicated. Given the small sample, generalizability is limited, but there is a need for further research, especially given that the quality of bilingual assessments and individualized education program rests directly on the skills of effective interpretation.

Listen to Me: Parents’ Satisfaction with Special Needs Services in Syria – A Descriptive and Exploratory Study

Parents’ involvement in their child’s educational and therapy choices is an important aspect of their therapy. This involvement may be related to their satisfaction with their child’s service providers’ direct child services family-related involvement. Additionally, civil unrest may influence parents’ satisfaction. For example, the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has influenced families with children in schools, and specifically children who have disabilities. The purpose of this descriptive and exploratory study was to investigate parents’ perceptions of current services provided in Syria for their children with disabilities, and to identify the services provided to Syrian children with ASD and other developmental disabilities. A total of 466 parents completed the study’s survey, with about half of the participants reporting that their child received early intervention and fewer that their child received other therapies (e.g., speech, behavioral, counseling). Parents also reported feeling unwelcome to contribute to their child’s individualized education program (IEP), and were not satisfied with the services their child received. In addition, some demographic factors, such as place of residence, the child’s current age, the child’s diagnosis, the child’s attending age at school, and which program the child was enrolled in, increased the parents’ satisfaction level. Implications and future research are discussed.

A Review and Analysis of Single-Case Research Examining Adolescent Participation in IEP Meetings

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify and synthesize single-case research examining interventions used to increase the quantity and/or quality of participation by adolescents with disabilities during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. For studies meeting quality indicators, we used visual analysis, Tau-U, and standardized mean difference to synthesize outcomes, including maintenance and generalization of effects. We identified seven studies examining quality of participation and eight studies examining quantity of participation that met our inclusion criteria; however, only three studies from each group met quality standards. Overall, interventions positively influenced student contributions at IEP meetings. When measured, increased quantity and quality of participation maintained over time and generalized to real IEP meetings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.